Conveyer shoe and supporting frame



1953 F. w. VODOZ CONVEYER SHOE AND SUPPORTING FRAME Filed May 5, 1949 ww 6 9 Z INVENTOR. Frederick YlCVodOZ am pm ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SONVEYER Sll-HQE AND SUPPORTING FRAME Frederick W. Vodoz, Ocononiowoc, Wis.

Appiication May 5, 1949, Serial No. 91,521

(Cl. 198--l37) 6 (Claims. 1

This invention relates to a conveyor shoe and supporting frame therefor, and is particularly adapted to construction employed in guiding endless chain conveyors of the single-chain type employed in the cleaning of dairy barns and the like.

Reference is made to the copending application of the present inventor Serial No. 769,296, filed August 18, 1947, for Barn Cleaner, and which discloses a barn cleaner of the type with which the present invention may be employed.

Dairy barns vary in their design, and in the installation of cleaner conveyors it is often neces sary to guide the chain around corners in various directions. Where the bend in the chain is in an outward direction away from the attached conveyor arms, the guiding of the chain is accomplished, generally, as illustrated in the application referred to above. Where the bend in the chain is in an inward direction, i. e. toward the attached conveyor arms, the guidance of the chain becomes more of a problem, as illustrated in the present instance.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a chain-guide shoe which is separable for ready release of the chain for repair and installation purposes and which may be used upon an inward bend.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a framework for supporting aplurality of shoes in a manner to guide a chain around an inward bend.

Another object is to simplify the installation and maintenance of barn cleaners of the type stated.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of part of the course of a barn-cleaning conveyor showing an inward bend of approximately 90".

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the radius 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing a shoe in end elevation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the radius 3-41! of Fig. 1 centrally of a shoe;

Fig. 4 is a detail section through a shoe taken on line 2-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the face of the lower member of the shoe taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The conveyor illustrated comprises a single chain of the ordinary log or coil chain type to which are secured a plurality of laterally extending arms 2 which are spaced a convenient tom of the gutter to scrape the same clean as the chain moves forwardly along the gutter.

The present invention has to do with the guiding of the chain. i around an inward bend where it is necessary to pass from one gutter to another, and the like.

For this purpose the chain is confined in guide shoes 5 disposed in alignment along the arc of the bend to receive successive portions of the chain as it passes progressively therethrough.

The shoes i for inward bends are each constructed of two cast-metal members secured together by bolts 5 and which have longitudinally grooved meeting faces complemental to each other for receiving the chain therebetween.

The upper and lower members of each shoe 2 are cast to the same pattern so that the members are interchangeable by merely turning them over.

The meeting face of each member has a longi tudinal groove 6 corresponding in width to a little greater than the thickness of one chain lint: and in total depth to a little greater than one half the width of a chain link. The ends of the groove 6 are enlarged on a curve to provide a wide mouth 1 for guiding a vertical chain link into the groove.

The face portion of each groove 6 is widened out to provide a flat recess 8 of dimensions to receive a corresponding one-half of a horizontal chain link. Each "recess 8 at the inner side of the curve opens continuously to the front edge of the shoe to pass the bracket 9 that attaches each corresponding arm 2 to two horizontal chain links.

Each shoe 4 extends for approximately 15 of a bend so that any suitable number of shoes may be provided in series to provide any suitable bend of about 15 or any multiple thereof. A 90 bend requires six shoes, as shown.

The grooves 6 of each shoe member are correspondingly curved on an arc of about 15 for thegiven radius. In general, it is desirable to provide a suihciently large radius to reduce the frictional resistance of dragging the chain through the shoes to a minimum. It has been found that a practical radius for the outside curvature of the gutter should be at least twice the total width of the gutter. Where the gutter has a width of sixteen inches the radius for any bend should be at least thirty-two inches for the outer side of the gutter.

The frame for holding the shoes in place comprises two radially spaced arcuate metal strips it curved concentric to the bend in the gutter 3 and adapted to be embedded in the cement of the barn floor on the outside of the gutter and at a level corresponding to the bottom of the gutter.

A plurality of radially extending lugs H are welded to strips l0 over the top of the latter and are embedded therewith, with the inner end of each lug ll protruding through the outer curved wall of gutter 3.

The lugs l l are spaced approximately 15 apart 3 on center lines and are positioned in radial alignment with the center of the corresponding shoes 4.

The central portion of each shoe 4 has a recess 12 in its outer edge adapted to receive the inner end of a corresponding lug I l, and a pivot pin [3 is dropped through a vertical bore through the upper and lower members of the shoe and also through the lug, the latter being disposed between the upper and lower members.

The shoes 4 are thus pivotally supported to float freely for alignment of the grooves 6 along the bend and equalization of the load on the shoes as the chain l moves therethrough.

The pins I3 may have heads on the upper ends to support the same on the upper members of the corresponding shoes.

In operation, as the conveyor chain and its arms are drawn along a gutter and pass a reverse bend the chain progresses into and through the corresponding slots 6 and recesses 8 of the successive shoes. The arms 2 follow with the chain 1 around the bend with the brackets 9 protruding from the recesses 8.

The invention provides a simple and effective reverse bend structure for a barn cleaner conveyor. By changing the location of the open slot for the arms, the shoes may be employed for bends in a vertical or inclined plane.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In a conveyor system for barn cleaning em- 7 ploying a single chain with side arms disposed along one side thereof to move along the bottom of a gutter, an inward bend guide structure for the chain comprising a plurality of lugs secured in the outer wall of the gutter adjacent the path of the chain and a guide shoe pivoted to each lug on a vertical axis and having a recessed groove therein through which the chain is adapted to pass in a curved are from end to end of the shoe, each said shoe having a length corresponding to a predetermined arc of the bend with the groove thereof shaped to receive and guide successive vertical and horizontal links of the chain and open along the inward face of the shoe for passage of said arms, the grooves of the several shoes being aligned along the bend and having open mouths at the ends for guiding the chain into the respective groove during passage of the chain links from shoe to shoe.

2. A pivotally floating shoe for guiding a conveyor chain of the class described on an inward curve, comprising two interchangeable complementary members secured together and embodying in the meeting faces thereof a recessed groove extending on a curve longitudinally thereof with the side toward the inside of the curve open along the length of the shoe and with the ends of the groove open for the passage of a chain longitudinally therethrough with the vertical and horizontal links of the chain confined and guided by corresponding portions of the groove whereby the chain is maintained free of twist, said complementary members having portions disposed toward the outside of the curve formed to receive means for pivoting the shoe for floating support.

3. A pivotally floating shoe for guiding a conveyor chain-of the class described on an inward curve, comprising two interchangeable complementary members and embodying in the meeting faces thereof a recessed groove extending on a curve longitudinally thereof with the side toward the inside of the curve open along the length of the shoe and with the ends of the groove open for the passage of a chain longitudinally therethrough with the vertical and horizontal links of the chain confined and guided by corresponding portions of the groove whereby the chain is maintained free of twist, the body of said members on the outside of the curve having a pair of meeting projection on opposite sides of the center thereof, and bolts passing through said meeting projections to secure the members together.

4. A pivotally floating shoe for guiding a conveyor chain of the class described on an inward curve, comprising two interchangeable complementary members and embodying in the meeting faces thereof a recessed groove extending on a curve longitudinally thereof with the side toward the inside of the curve open along the length of the shoe and with the ends of the groove open for the passage of a chain longitudinally therethrough with the vertical and horizontal links of the chain confined and guided by corresponding portions of the groove whereby the chain is maintained free of twist, the body of said members on the outside of the curve having a central vertical hole therethrough for pivotally attaching the shoe to a support and having a pair of meeting projections on opposite sides of the center thereof, and bolts passing through said meeting projections to secure the members together.

5. A support for guide shoes on an inward curve in a barn gutter and the like, comprising a pair of radially spaced substantially concentric bars curved corresponding to the curvature and length of the bend and adapted to be embedded in the material of the outer Wall of the gutter. and a plurality of lugs secured to said bars and extending radially inward in equally spaced relation along the curve with the inner ends of the lugs adapted to protrude from the outer wall of the gutter and having means for pivotally attaching corresponding guide shoes thereto.

6. A support for guide shoes on an inward curve in a barn gutter and the like, comprising a bar curved corresponding to the curvature and length of the bend and adapted to be embedded in the material of the outer wall of the gutter, and a plurality of lugs integrally secured to said bar and extending radially inward in equally spaced relation along the curve with the inner ends of the lugs adapted to protrude from the outer wall of the gutter and having means for pivotally attaching corresponding guide shoes thereto, the spacing of said lugs being substantially fifteen degrees apart on the curve to provide for individual guide shoes for each sector of the bend and for a practical construction for different bends- FREDERICK w. vonoz.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 428,675 Holt May 27, 1890 2,021,453 Levin Nov. 19, 1935 2,096,409 Sayers Oct. 19; 1937 2,383,932 Brunner Sept. 4, 1945 2,554,589 Patz May 29, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 166,220 Great Britain July 11, 1921 

